


Caffeine Captivation

by RiddleBlack



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 19:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11539110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiddleBlack/pseuds/RiddleBlack
Summary: Coffee continues to appear on Spock's desk with no explanation as to who it is from.





	Caffeine Captivation

This was beginning to get a bit… frustrating.

Not that Spock would openly admit to  _anything_  being frustrating, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that this event had been occurring repeatedly, on schedule, with no explanation as to who was causing it or why.

Spock continued to stare down at said source of frustration. The mug was unusually shaped, made to look similar Malaya IV, the planet dedicated almost exclusively to medical facilities. So, that had to be something of a hint. This person had been to said planet for some extended length of time, either for themselves or for someone else, and had been attached enough to said planet to warrant the purchase of a souvenir.

The mug was filled to the brim with coffee. A dash of milk, no sugar, as was the way it had been served to him for the past several weeks. It wasn’t the way he preferred it, no, but clearly whoever made him the beverage was aware of the Vulcan avoidance of excess sugar. So whoever had been carrying out this action wasn’t entirely clueless to the biological discrepancies of other species.

He had initially considered the perpetrator to be a student. He had started teaching early morning classes the previous semester and had seen a wide variety of students arrive to his lecture with thermos of coffee, tea, and various other beverages. It wasn’t unheard of to assume that perhaps one had wished to be generous and bring him a mug as well.

However, two matters soon struck down his theory. One - the mugs rotated over the course of the week. While Spock made a point to wash and rinse the mugs and carefully set it aside on his desk at the end of each day, he never saw anyone retrieve the mug or replace it. He supposed someone could come in at night to get it (he didn’t see a reason to lock the lecture hall), but the building itself was sealed at midnight, so there was no way for a student to get in.

Two - The coffee was always hot. Thermos could do a lot with recent technology, including keep beverages as steaming as they were when they were first made. However, such devices could be on the pricier side, especially for students, and it simply was improbable to believe that a student would use an incredibly expensive device for the purpose of providing coffee for their professor every morning, especially if they did not intend to take credit for this act in hopes of receiving extra credit of some kind (though it was not as if Spock even offered such things).

And so he was left to stare contemplatively into the steaming liquid until more students began to file in and take their seats. His gaze flicked up to scan the room before he resolutely took a sip. He supposed that it was not of consequence. The gesture was appreciated and if the person chose to make themselves known, he would express his gratitude. But until then, there was no reason to give it anymore thought.

* * *

The ‘mystery’ behind the morning coffee had slipped from Spock’s mind by the time he made his way towards his lecture hall the next day. He was earlier than he usually intended to arrive, but he had been able to get home sooner to meditate the previous day, and thus had set his schedule slightly ahead for the next day. He made his way down the hall, noting the peaceful quiet of an early morning arrival as he adjusted his bag on this shoulder. He was about to push the door to the hall open when he was stopped in his tracks at the sight of a figure in the classroom. His debate over who could be the coffee perpetrator returned to the forefront of his thoughts as he peered through the translucent glass.

A man hummed softly to himself as he moved over to Spock’s desk. In his hands, he held a large thermos, similar to the one Spock speculated the provider to have owned. In his other, he held a standard white mug with a minimalist design made to emulate the Star Fleet insignia. The man placed the mug on Spock’s desk and picked up the one from the previous day. He carefully placed it into his bag before opening his thermos. He poured the coffee into the new mug, mindful not to spill any drops on the papers left on his desk. Spock remained silent as he watched the nameless man return the thermos to his bag and start towards the door. When he finally looked up, he stopped abruptly, eyes locking with Spock’s as the door was pushed open. The pair stared at one another, silence growing between them.

With the lined glass no longer hindering his view, Spock was able to get a full analysis of the no-longer-mysterious barista. The man was shorter than him and likely a bit younger. He was a bit on the heavier side, but the weight was mostly muscle with what was likely a bit of excess. His brunette hair curled slightly at his forehead and intense hazel eyes stared into his own. He stood with his chest nearly puffed out in confidence, holding the air of a man that is used to leading and unashamed in being caught in actions that were somewhat… peculiar.

“Professor Spock.” The man greeted, tone managing to somehow be both warm and authoritative at the same time. Spock slowly raised an eyebrow.

“Greetings,” Spock replied evenly, “Admittedly, I am not familiar with your name.”

“Oh, sorry about that,” The man smiled, revealing two rows of sparkling white teeth, “I know I don’t get out much outside of my lectures. I’ve been told I’m something of a workaholic.” He raised his hand, separating his middle and ring finger (albeit clumsily) into the Vulcan salute, “Professor Kirk. But Jim is fine.”

Spock blinked, processing the information. Jim Kirk. He’d heard his name before. Mostly in passing between various students in his lectures and in reference from other professors. Nyota, one of his few friends within the faculty, had mentioned him a few times, about how much the students adore him and how he’s so invested in teaching in the command field that nearly every single one of his students was on a starship within five years of their graduation from the Academy.

Spock raised his own hand, mirroring the gesture. “I would ask what you’re doing here, but it’s rather obvious.” His gaze moved over to the still-steaming mug on his desk before returning to Kirk.

“I believe the more appropriate question would be ‘Why’?”

Kirk’s grin turned sheepish. He shrugged before speaking.

“Well, I just thought it would be the neighborly thing to do. After all, our rooms are right next to one another. And there’s no harm in making a good first impression with the head of the science department, right?”

“I suppose not,” Spock agreed, “However, you have made no attempt to speak to me directly, let alone reveal yourself as the one providing me with coffee.”

Spock watched as the man’s tanned cheeks slowly bloomed pink. He bit his lip, the confidence slowly starting to fade into shyness.

“Uh… yeah, you got me there,” He laughed weakly, “Okay… I’ll be straight with you here. I wanted to make a good first impression because a lot of the staff speaks highly of you. I’m also a big fan of your work regarding inter-species relationships and analysis of genetic compatibility.”

Spock kept his expression neutral, inclining his head ever so slightly to indicate that he may continue.

“So I thought I would bring by some coffee as a way to introduce myself, get to know you. But when I saw you in the hall, I… panicked.”

Spock raised an eyebrow once more. Kirk seemed incredibly confident and, in the command field, panic wasn’t exactly a feeling that should be acted upon.

“I left the coffee and headed out before you could see me. I decided to try again the next day… and the next… at that point, it had become almost a routine, so I just decided… not to stop?”

He ended his explanation like it was a question, as if to silently ask if that was an unusual routine to carry out. Spock folded his arms over his chest.

“And might I ask what it was about me that sent you into a ‘panic’, Professor?”

The pink in Kirk’s cheeks deepened into an intense red.

“Well, I…” Kirk swallowed, shifting his posture as he attempted to formulate a reply, “I must admit that… it was because I find you to be rather attractive.”

Silence, once again, engulfed the room. If Spock were to speak, he would have admitted that that was not the answer he had expected. Intimidation, yes. Perhaps even discomfort over his being Vulcan. But attraction?

“And I wasn’t sure as to how I could work up the courage to speak to you, especially when I not only wanted to get to know you and discuss your work, but also…” Kirk trailed off, leaving his intentions open ended.

“You wished to pursue something more intimate.”

Kirk blinked in surprise. “Uh… maybe not so… intensely, but yes.”

Spock nodded in understanding, moving past Kirk to place his bag at his desk and retrieve his mug of coffee. Closing his eyes, he took a sip. When he opened them once more, he found Kirk still standing in the doorway, unsure of whether he should stay or go.

“There is a dining establishment four point three eight blocks from this building,” He supplied evenly, “When you have completed your lecture this afternoon, you may join me in partaking in lunch. You may see how I actually take my coffee.”

Spock watched as Kirk’s mouth grew into a smile, nodding at his suggestion. “I think I’d like that. See you at three?”

“Indeed. Though I would appreciate it if you will knock this time instead of simply letting yourself in.”


End file.
